I have a bundle, say bundle A, which is started in my Virgo kernel when I start the kernel up.

Another bundle is responsible for gathering some information from the user and then writing a plan file in the kernel's pickup directory. The plan file references bundle A which is already active.

When Virgo attempts to deploy the plan, it fails with a DeploymentException of this sort:

org.eclipse.virgo.kernel.deployer.core.DeploymentException: InstallArtifact bundle 'A' version '0.0.1.SNAPSHOT' in scope 'null' was installed when bundle 'A' version '0.0.1.SNAPSHOT' in scope 'null' was installed

Not sure, but that feature should fall out of the prototyping of the OSGi "subsystems" RFC. The subsystems line item won't make 3.5 though, so we are probably talking about well into next year at the earliest. Note that enhancement bug 357850 has already been raised. I have been considering trying to get some of the underpinnings of subsystems, such as this feature, into master early, but since I have only just dipped my toe into the water, I'm making no promises.